Rescue teams are searching the waters of Southeast Alaska for two passengers who are missing after a pair of sightseeing planes crashed in midair, killing at least four people and injuring 10 others.
The two missing people, an Australian and a Canadian, were among 14 passengers from a Princess Cruises ship who boarded two seaplanes operated by separate tour companies in the town of Ketchikan.
Ten people survived but were injured in the collision, which took place over open water on Monday at about 1pm.
At least four, including one of the pilots, were killed.
Dive teams plunged into the icy cold waters of a southeast Alaska inlet Tuesday, searching an area the size of 24 football fields for two cruise ship passengers missing after two sightseeing planes collided.
Both of the plane were flying passengers from Princess Cruises on sightseeing flights through the nature reserves south of Ketchikan, Alaska. The flights were sightseeing tours arranged by Princess cruises for its passengers.
Ten passengers and a pilot were aboard one float plane, a de Havilland Otter DHC-3, operated by Taquan Air.
Four passengers and a pilot were aboard the second float plane, a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, run by Mountain Air Service of Ketchikan.
An NTSB “go team” was dispatched to Ketchikan to start investigating the cause of the accident. The go team is expected to arrive Tuesday evening in Ketchikan.
Princess Cruises in an official statement said the following: “We are deeply saddened to report this news and our thoughts and prayers are with those who lost their lives and the families impacted by today’s accident,”
Taquan Air issued a statement on the accident:
“We are devastated by today’s incident and our hearts go out to our passengers and their families.”
Taquan Air has suspended all scheduled flights and is cooperating fully with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other authorities to examine every aspect of this event.
Hi Carl from New Zealand,
We had an almost identical mid air collision in 1989 by two Cessna 207 sightseeing flights on almost parallel but convergent flight paths. The incident is cited as AO-1989-112
(Home » Investigations » AO-1989-112 Aviation AO-1989-112 Cessna 207 ZK-DAX and Cessna 207 ZK-DQF, mid-air collision, Milford Sound, 30 December 1989)
These aircraft were tracking to the same point in a narrow Fjord side by side with both pilots unaware of the other. In fact Japanese passengers on one plane were busy video recording the approach of the other plane and never raised the alarm. The planes collided. One lost a wing and plunged into deep water with no survivors whilst the other was damaged, but struggled to a landing.
Most of the investigation recommendations naturally focused on traffic management of scenic flights. Worth reading the report for similarities with the floatplane collision.
Regards Sy
Very sad to hear about this tragedy. I was on a DHC-3 Otter in Alaska myself just last week, out of Juneau, and saw lots of floatplanes in Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria. I didn’t feel unsafe at all, and got some amazing photos. I feel awful now for all those affected.
(The Taquan Air image used is a DHC-2 Beaver. The DHC-3 Otter is longer/has more windows).
Thanks for sharing your memories. You’re absolutely right. I will try to correct this.
The photo of the Taquan Air DHC-3 Otter is actually a DHC-2 Beaver.
Hi Carl
Thanks for the correction. You’re spot on!